Climate, Weather and Aboriginal Culture

Climate, Weather and Aboriginal Culture – A Precious Heritage “The Aboriginal people have been living in Australia for at least 50,000 years and during this time have developed a unique method of living which has enabled survival to be maintained in sometimes incredibly adverse conditions.

Image: Thinkquest

A culture was developed in which all things past and present are interrelated, including the weather, landscape and previous generations, together with the plant and animal kingdoms. All these are connected as a continuum in which everything is placed in a proper order and has distinct meaning and relevance. Climate and weather are vital parts of this continuum, and are largely controlled by supernatural forces which manifest themselves through the behavior of the surrounding natural world. “

“The Rainbow Serpent

A common theme in all Aboriginal mythology is the Rainbow Serpent. The Rainbow Serpent is seen as the inhabitant of permanent water holes and is in control of life’s most precious resource, water. It is the sometimes unpredictable Rainbow Serpent, who vies with the ever-reliable Sun, that replenishes the stores of water. Serpent stories vary according to environmental differences. Tribes of the monsoonal areas depict an epic interaction of the Sun, Serpent and wind in their Dreamtime stories, whereas tribes of the central desert experience less drastic seasonal shifts and their stories reflect this.”